Gravity hinge



Jan- 9, 1934. .1, R. KUNZELMAN 1,942,715

GRAVITY HINGE Filed Dec. 16, 1951 /m/emor JOHN R. KUNZELMN 5)/ /7/'5 IyO/Weys Patented Jan. 9, 1934 UNITED STATES GRAVITY HINGE John R. Kunzelman, Stillwater, Minn., assignor ol' one-eighth 'to Edmond Koeln and fiveeighths to S. Mark Dodd, both of St. Louis, Mo.

Application December 16, 1931. Serial No. 581,338

1 Claim.

My present invention relates to hinges of the type disclosed and broadly claimed in my pending application Gravity hinge led December 26, 1930, under Serial Number 504,705. One of 5 the objects of the present invention is to provide a hinge that is reversible side for side and applicable to either side of a horizontal swinging door or window and to either the right or left hand edge thereof and overcomes an objection to l the hinge in said co-pending application which had to be furnished to the trade in two forms, one for the right hand edge of a door and the other for the left hand edge thereof.

To the above end, generally stated, the invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claim.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates the invention, like characters indicate like parts 20 throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view of the improved hinge partly in elevation and partly in section with its upper leaf shown in a dierent position by means of broken lines;

Fig. 2 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view showing the lower leaf of the hinge positioned, as shown in Fig. 2, and the upper leaf turned 90 to the right;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail view with some parts sectioned substantially on the irregular line 4-4 of Fig. 1; A

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail view with some parts sectioned on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a view showing the invention embodied in a strap hinge with some parts broken away and other parts sectioned; and

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the hinge shown in Fig. 6 attached to a door frame and a door with a portion of one of its leaves broken away and sectioned.

Referring rst to the invention as shown in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, the improved hinge includes an upper leaf 8, a lower leaf 9, and a pintle 10. A sleeve-like bearing l1 is formed with one of the vertical edges of the upper leaf 8 and a similar bearing lug 12 is formed with the corresponding edge of the lower leaf 9. Each leaf 8 and 9 is provided with a plurality of screw holes 13 and countersunk on each side, as indicated at 14, for the heads of screws used in securing the leaves 8 and 9 to a casing or other support and a horizontal swinging door or window. The pintle 10, which is of a relatively large diameter, has its lower end portion tightly fitted in the lower `bearing lug 12 and rigidly secured thereto by a pair of rivets 15. The pintle 10v extends into the upper bearing lug 1l with a working lit to permit said lug, and hence the leaf 8, to be turned about the axis of said pintle. It will be noted that the lower end of the pintle 10 terminates short of the bearing lug 12 and its upper end terminates short of the upper end of the bearing lug l1 and the respective ends of said bearing lugs permanently closed by terminal plugs 16 that are rigidly held in place by friction or otherwise.

Two spiral cam grooves 17 are formed in the pintle l0 and diverge upwardly from a common neutral point 18 which, as shown, is in the plane of the lower leaf 9 and at the same side of the pintle 10. These cam grooves 17 extend on opposite sides of the pintle 10 and meet at a diametrically opposite point from the neutral point 18.

Cooperating with the cam grooves 17 is a cam stud 19 rigidly secured to the upper bearing lug 11 and extends into said grooves. .Normally the cam stud 19 is yieldingly held at the neutral point 18 by the two cam grooves 17 and automatically positions the upper leaf 8 in the same plane as the lower leaf 9. It is important to note that the upper leaf 8 is entirely above the lower leaf 9 with freedom to swing thereover and on either side thereof. As the two cam grooves 17 extend completely around the pintle 10 it is possible to rotate the upper bearing lug 11 about the axis of said lug and swing the upper leaf 8 in a complete circle about said axis. When the cam stud 19 is at the neutral point 18 the upper leaf 8 is in its lowermost position and by swinging said leaf either to the left or the right the cam stud 19 will be carried upward in the respective cam groove 17 and thereby lift the upper leaf 8 with respect to the lower leaf 9.

Formed in the pintle 10 are two entrance passageways 20 for the cam stud 19 and which passageways extend longitudinally of said pintle on diametrically opposite sides thereof and from the top of the pintle 10 to the two cam grooves 17. When the cam stud 19 is aligned with either one of the entrance passageways 20 for movement therein the upper leaf 8 may be removed from the pintle 10 or applied thereto by an axial movement of the bearing lug l1 with respect thereto. If all doors opened 180 only a single entrance passage for the cam stud 19 would be necessary but to permit a door that can be opened 90 to be removed from its frame two entrance passageways 20 are necessary.

In actualusage of the improved hinge the lower 1eaf 9 will be secured to a door frame or other support and the leaf 8 will be secured to a door and when said door is closed the hinge will be positioned, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4. In this position of the hinge the door will be closely positioned to the sill so lthat there is a relatively tight joint therewith and when opened the cam stud 19 will be moved upward in one of the cam grooves 17, depending on which way the door opens, and thereby lift the door so that it will freely swing over the sill, floor, or floor covering. When the open door is released the cam stud 19, under the action of the weight of the door, will travel downward in the respective cam groove 1'7 and thereby automatically close the door.

From the illustrations in the drawing and the above description it is evident that the hinge may be reversed side for side and applied to either the left or right hand edge of a door on either side thereof.

Referring now to the illus'ration in Figs. 6 and 7, wherein the invention is applied or embodied in a strap hinge and the action thereof is the same as in the hinge previously described. This strap hinge is also reversible side for side for application to either side of a door or to either the left or right hand edge thereof. Parts of the strap hinge, which correspond to the hinge shown in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, have the same reference numerals followed by a prime. In Fig.' 7 the numerals 21 and 22 indicate, respectively, a door frame and door to which the strap hinge is applied.

What I claim is:

A hinge comprising an upper leaf having a sleeve-like bearing lug and a lower leaf having a pintle extending into the bearing lug and supporting the upper leaf entirely over the lower leaf or swinging movement from one side to the other thereof, and means for raising and lowering the upper leaf with respect to the lower leafincluding a pair of cam grooves in the pintle that diverge from a common neutral point and a cam slud normally positioned by the cam grooves at said neutral point for movement into either one of the cam grooves, said leaves being held in the same plane by said raising and lowering means when the cam stud is at the neutral point, said pintle having an entrance groove for the cam stud on each side of the neutral point, said stud supporting the upper bearing lug spaced above the lower bearing lug to permit free swinging movement of the upper leaf over the lower leaf.

JOHN R. KUNZELMAN. 

